My shock is that anyone EVER believed his shell game. None of the three shells you list moved or fooled me one bit towards believing him. Indeed, the first time I ever even noticed he was on the planet, I was a kid in Philadelphia. I remember he was in the middle of some bankruptcy or scandalous real estate rip-off, and he was being interviewed; he was so pompous, arrogant, smarmy and disingenuous, I disliked him immediately. I knew nothing about him but in my gut, I didn’t trust him. I couldn’t believe he was considered so successful by grown-ups.
That feeling has blossomed into full-blown hate this past decade or so, much in the last year. Full-blown hatred is new to me - I’ve never felt it so thoroughly and personally til now.
To be honest, I don’t like the feeling at all, so I avoid listening or looking at trump very long at a time. (Otherwise, I’d be totally broke by now from replacing all the TVs, computers and radios I’d smashed.)
Good on you for discerning the truth about trump as a kid. I'm certain that your smart gut has saved you from a lot of unpleasantness (unfortunately it doesn't help with trump in a position where we can't avoid him).
Yeah - that we got to this point shocks me too! I think kids have more sense than grown-ups; viscerally, he just repelled me and he still repels me. I never knew my gut was so out of sync with so much of America…! (The apparently grown-up Americans, anyway!)
I think it's wonderful that your gut is out of sync with so much of America. trump also repels me. You know who else did was Ronald Reagan. I could never look at him. Now I wonder what I sensed in him back starting in the 70s?
Me too!! I was about 12 in ‘80, but I didn’t like him either. I’d never really focused on him before then. My parents despised Reagan. He started the great unraveling of America.
What you displayed was good intuition and sense in the ‘70s. My parents saw it, too, the dumbing down and loosening standards of Americans. As staunch democrats, they were galled to see the middle classes celebrating their own demise under that weak-minded, racist, bad actor man.
GREAT book, if you don’t already have it: Profiles in Ignorance, by Andy Borowitz. It’s funny, (and demoralizing at times), clever, accurate and a great nighttime read. Its focus: modern republican politicians (presidents) and the progression (regression) of our elected leaders and American standards to now.
A Confederacy of Dunces is actually by John Kennedy Toole. Did you mean, by any chance, Profiles in Ignorance by Andy Borowitz? If so, I've read and enjoyed it. The other one I wouldn't choose to read because I don't generally read fiction and the description of it I saw did not appeal to me.
Duh! I stand corrected and embarrassed! - Profiles in Ignorance! Why did I pull that Confederacy title out of my brain? I've read Andy's book twice! You'd think I'd get the title right!
So, you've read the one I meant to mention (lol) - I enjoyed it, too!
Thank you, Denise. It feels really good to know that someone else felt the same way as I did about Reagan. I like your characterization of him as evil.
Remember comedienne Brett Butler? I watched her sitcom, Grace Under Fire, and one episode centered around a neighbor mom's depression. She told her son what depression is, and said that it needs treatment. Then she said, "I was depressed for a long time when I was younger. They were called the Reagan years."
I thought that one-liner was brilliant. And at that point, Ronnie was still highly revered, so it took courage for her to say that.
I so appreciate your transparency. I have never thought of myself as a hateful person, but I greatly struggle with contempt and hatred for him, his enablers, and every person who put him into office. Contempt is a dangerous and destructive human emotion/response...it corrodes people's souls, and, for that reason, I try to think of other things and not dwell on it. But my goodness, it's hard.
Sadly, the first time I remember feeling hate was when Nixon was in office. I don't like the feeling either. And yeah, I sure wish that not every article about politics didn't feature a pic of his scowly face. So hard to look at.
When I watch footage of Nixon and trump, watching them move and make facial expressions, I’m struck by the impression that they aren’t controlling their own muscles: it’s like a committee of extraterrestrial aliens are operating them via remote control, each ET having a separate lever to move a particular muscle group. It seems like they’re all mad at each other and are throwing levers out of spite. The overall effect is that neither politician appears actually human.
Trump “dancing” to YMCA is an obvious example. Nixon sweatily debating Kennedy is another.
i wonder if radio stations know that as soon as his voice comes on a lot of us turn it off.
maybe we turn it on again later, but the station's advertisers should know that they may be selling into a vacuum ...
because we do care, and it's upsetting that he doesn't ... and it's not a tactic, he really doesn't care about other people and the things that hurt us.
I have to admit, I don’t listen to stations that run his ads or feature his rambling, obnoxious speeches. Unless I’m on NPR, and then it’s not nasty ads, it’s just the news. But I do exactly as you say, if it’s more than a sentence I hear in his voice, I change the station!
We do care, too, a great deal. That trump is president and this country is as conservative, redneck and racist as it is when I’ve almost reached sixty years old makes me very sad. Not just for me (though that too for sure!), but the future of all life, all civilization on earth.
Thank you for your well spoken response. You expressed how I feel. I cannot understand how anyone could be fooled by such a creepy narcissist. He has always reminded me of a predator.... a very dumb one.
Thank you for such kind words! Yes, trump is a predator, and a dumb one, which makes him that much more lethal. The collateral damage to all his policies and changes are vast and *totally* foreseeable, but he’s impulsive, without discretion and his approach to everything is heavy handed and sweeping. No planning, no consequence analysis — indeed, no time between his whim and the execution of that whim (the East Wing/ballroom, Venezuela, the rose garden, Iran, the Kennedy Center, etc etc).
Having trump in charge of this country is like living in the same house as a trigger-happy gun enthusiast with a fuse as short as his penis. [ETA: sorry for the graphic analogy 🫢]
One of the things that concerns me is that if the Republicans commit voter fraud in some key districts, the second shell, “The numbers are fake, the system is rigged" becomes part of the strategy in that it makes it more difficult for Dems to cry foul. I'd call this strategy brilliant, but I don't think it was its original intent, and nothing he does deserves to wear the air of "brilliance."
Charles, since 2020, I have opined that "The Big Lie" was a can't-fail strategy. If it succeeded on its face, the election would be overturned and Donald would get to remain in The Oval and out of prison.
If the scheme didn't overturn the election, it would lay the groundwork for delegitimizing any future claims by Democrats that an election had been "rigged." By risking the appearance of "sore losers," the Trump machine established the precedent that questioned election results are just "sour grapes" and do not merit investigation.
Definitely. Donnycon has poisoned the well in terms of calling out anything that seems in the least bit suspicious like how he won all seven swing states.
And I think that is why DJT is so adamant the he won the 2020 election. He knew it was rigged in this favor but the post-pandemic vote overwhelmed what they planned. Also, in 2024, what are the odds of DJT winning ALL six swing states just above the level that called for an auto recount? I will never know why the DNC did not call for a forensic analysis of two of the swing states.
I've read your theory about 2020 elsewhere, and it makes perfect sense to me. IOW, he doesn't think he won just because he's a malignant narcissist and can't accept losing. He thinks that because he was told the election was in the bag.
In 2024, I think there should have been analysis of ALL the swing states. As for why the DNC didn't call for audits, well....they're spineless. In 2004, they immediately conceded that Kerry lost, despite the obvious shenanigans in Ohio. They simply don't fight for anything.
I think the atmosphere in the country wasn't quite as volatile and the polls were still considered relatively free of fraud when Kerry lost - it would have been publicized as sour grapes had dems demanded an analysis. Or, I suspect it would have. Our elections ARE free of fraud in the overall scheme of any huge national election process (though the campaigning etc. is atrociously in need of reform - money is far too huge a factor now, and the campaigning starts way too early - we're either in an election year or in the middle of campaign promise overload).
The issue isn't whether our votes safely get counted (or it hasn't been): the issue is that trump destroyed all faith in the system with his inane, thoroughly disproven Big Lie. It's entirely a smoke and mirror problem - there ISN'T a problem except for the perception of a problem in the minds of Americans. Now that trump has been in power, shoving his filthy fingers into everything, THIS is where I am now concerned for our election process's integrity. All the completely unconstitutional and undemocratic gerrymandering has also rendered our once-representative votes into diluted whispers.
There is NO WAY on God's green earth that trump could be fairly elected come November. None. If he wins, he cheated and manipulated and doctored the vote. There is NO WAY he can win the majority of this country's vote without subterfuge.
I've actually been doubting if trump was EVER truly elected by the People.
He cheated and manipulated and doctored the vote two years ago. Just ask Elon and his hacker posse. There were dirty tricks galore before the vote, and then, when it came to election night, well.... A statistically impossible win of all the swing states, with numbers just high enough to avoid automatic recounts, huge numbers of bullet ballots and other anomalies....it all spells subversion.
As for Ohio in 2004, it stunk to high heaven. The news broadcasts called the race for Kerry a little after midnight, but a few hours later, the results suddenly flipped? The CEO of the voting machine company telling employees that he'd do everything he could to ensure Bush's electoon? Nope, there was underhanded manipulation there, too. The local branch of the ACLU (Clwveland) met to discuss what to do, but as would happen in 2024, the Dem candid had immediately conceded, and the DNC would do nothing.
It's ironic, isn't it, that trump and the republican machine has the country believing democrats are the corrupt fraudsters? Throughout modern history, the republicans have been the cheaters with the $$$ to commit unheard of fraud and crime. I believe you - I didn't hear all the details about Ohio. Hopefully with this new group of democrats and the emotional vehemence trump has inspired in the party, we'll see dems with teeth, brains and savvy taking over.
When I first saw this statement on Melania’s jacket I thought that this might have been a frequent comment she lived by. I already knew trump used this comment when he lived in NYC out of politics. He not only said it, he lived by it. I imagine this comment frequently resounds in the trump family and i think that it sums up the entire ethos of their clan.
How can we anger him enough to leave in a huff? Unfortunately, his current grift taps the deepest pockets he has ever had access to. Too bad he hasn't steamed Putin enough to send him some of that special 'Uncle Vlad's Polonium Tea.'
I really enjoyed reading this, Jay, your articles are thought-provoking and also colorfully written. What ultimately strikes me about this Epstein Club is that they are constantly miserable-looking and angry--for all their money and power. How us that worth it?
" Donald Trump is a con man, and we the public are his marks. His goal is to rob us blind and get away with as much as he can, plain and simple. And nearly everything he does can be understood through that basic framing."
The three card monte is his trick to distract and divide us while he extorts and steals for himself, his family, and his billionaire puppet masters. Then, because of all this extortion and theft, he must further distract, divide AND demand fealty to escape being held accountable.
The problem is that our media (and far too many of us who oppose him), spend our time repeating, resharing, AND amplifying all of his lies of distraction and division. Even when we think we are pointing out the lies, by negating them, we are actually reinforcing them!
Cognitive science makes clear that repetition, even (and in fact, especially) to refute, is simply reinforcing (hard wiring) his fascist, racist, nativist, misogynist, and LGBTQ-hating propaganda. Words matter and too often, it is his words that we are all pushing into the world.
For those interested in better understanding this, and how we can stop aiding and abetting a jury-determined rapist, 3X popular vote majority loser, 34X convicted felon, twice impeached traitor, and walking #EpsteinFiles redaction in his effort to steal our freedoms and destroy our way of life, a few resources below:
I'm concerned that his lack of concern is motivated by his knowledge / complicity of a concerted effort to manipulate or impact future elections via nefarious means.
One of the ploys universally intrinsic to human behavior is, ‘if I blame someone else then I don’t have to change'. I grew up with a quaint saying about self-accountability: “When I point my finger at my neighbor, there are three more pointing back at me.” It has been a challenging but useful guidepost in my adult life.
Melania’s fashion statement confused me a little. I remember thinking, “If you don’t care, why would anyone listen to what you say?” Then I thought, “Meh, I don’t listen to her already, so no, when it comes to you, you bitter, bitchy, malignant Melanoma, I do not care.”
My guess is that he has received enough information that the mid-terms will be a democratic victory that he is dis-associating himself from the mid-terms in an attempt to minimize them and make them appear less important. BUT meanwhile, what's this new thing about how he wants "the government" to collect the social media accounts of everyone so he can go after those who disagree with him?
What you describe is part and parcel of the ever-growing surveillance state. Thiel's Palantir is being used by our government to collect and assimilate any and all available data on every individual. The merged packets will give as complete as possible a picture of all of us---banking, home ownership, taxes, medical records, voting history, contacts, purchasing stats, social media content, you name it. After all, Musk and DOGE already hoovered up a lot of that info.
federal agencies under his administration have actively expanded their tracking of social media critics, political adversaries, and travelers.
During Trump's second presidential term, the administration’s use of federal law enforcement and administrative powers to police speech and target vocal opponents has drawn intense scrutiny.
Targeting of High-Profile Critics
Rather than sweeping up all everyday citizens, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI have focused heavily on prominent public figures who have publicly sparred with or criticized the president:
James Comey: The former FBI director has been indicted twice by the current DOJ, most recently for an Instagram post featuring seashells spelling out "8647". Prosecutors interpreted the slang "86" as an intent to harm the 47th president.
Former Officials: In April 2025, Trump signed executive orders explicitly directing the DOJ to investigate former first-term administration officials, such as Miles Taylor and Christopher Krebs, who became vocal critics of him.E. Jean Carroll: The DOJ recently opened an investigation into Trump's civil accuser regarding the funding of her litigation costs.
Increased Use of Administrative
Subpoenas
Civil liberties groups and security experts have highlighted a broader trend of federal agencies targeting general critics through aggressive administrative methods:Bypassing Courts: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal investigators have increasingly used administrative subpoenas to demand information directly from tech platforms regarding users critical of the government. These do not require prior approval or a warrant from a judge.
Platform Cooperation: Tech companies are not legally obligated to comply with administrative subpoenas without a court order, but some have cooperated. In one high-profile incident, Google handed over information on a user who emailed a federal prosecutor about an immigration case, prompting federal agents to show up at his door.
Traveler and Immigrant Screening: The administration has also prioritized searching and vetting the public social media footprints of tourists from dozens of foreign countries and immigrants arriving in the U.S..
The Legality of Social Media MonitoringLegal experts note that while tracking Trump-critical speech is highly controversial and raises severe First Amendment concerns, it is not entirely illegal:
Public Square Rule: Because public social media posts are inherently visible to anyone, the FBI can manually or automatically monitor public feeds without opening a formal investigation or needing a warrant.
Enforcement Realities: Due to limited resources, federal agencies generally state that their core surveillance missions focus on terrorism, human trafficking, and cybersecurity. However, speech that can be interpreted as an operational threat or linked to specific political adversaries is increasingly being weaponized for criminal referrals.
Civil rights organizations like the ACLU have long warned that this expanding dragnet creates a "chilling effect" designed to make regular citizens self-censor their political expression online.
It was in a FB post from Occupy Democrats. If you send me an email, I'll forward the piece. No worries.
HERE'S MORE ---> The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Reddit, and Discord, demanding identifying data of accounts that track or criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Summary of the Situation
Reports from The New York Times and legal documents indicate that the government targeted anonymous social media accounts that document ICE raids, organize protests, or express anti-ICE sentiments.
The Government's Argument: The DHS and ICE claim these accounts threaten "officer safety" by posting real-time location data of active enforcement operations, which could lead to interference or violence.
Data Requested: The administrative subpoenas requested user names, telephone numbers, email addresses, and location data.
The Legal Mechanism: The DHS used "administrative subpoenas" (or administrative summons), which are generated internally by federal agencies and do not require prior approval from a judge.
Legal Pushback and Direct Escalation
The broad demands have sparked major pushback from digital privacy advocates, civil liberties organizations, and tech platforms:
User Notifications: Tech companies like Google and Meta implemented policies to notify affected users, giving them a 10-to-14-day window to legally challenge the requests before handing over personal data.
ACLU Intervention: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and individual privacy lawyers stepped in to block several demands in federal court. In multiple instances, the DHS withdrew its administrative subpoenas before a judge could rule on their constitutionality, leaving the legal boundaries unresolved.
Escalation to DOJ Grand Juries: Following challenges to the civil administrative summonses, the Department of Justice (DOJ) escalated the situation by deploying federal grand jury subpoenas against specific users on platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). Grand jury subpoenas indicate an active criminal investigation and are significantly harder for tech platforms or users to legally defeat.
Civil rights advocates warn that unmasking non-violent accounts that purely engage in political speech, satire, or documenting public law enforcement activity violates the First Amendment and creates a severe chilling effect on free speech.
After reading your intro, I was going to comment that he's not smart enough to plan these things, but I kept reading and you convinced me. This is a life long habit of his, so maybe it is so ingrained that he doesn't have to plan much.
I certainly understand that those, who only follow headlines after he has manipulated the news, can stay in his camp. And perhaps far too many people live with family members who bully or use the same tactics. But how do the relatively smarter people who work for him stand to be near this? What's in it for them?
Some say that Trump isn't smart. Well, he is smart with these tactics. What he is "not smart" about is what the vast majority of people do on a day to day basis. He is solely lacking in day to day experiences. He has never ever even shopped for his groceries, much less ever walked on a trail in the wilderness.
Is it not time now to push Republicans to back impeachment? He has already sunk enough of them - i.e. he can't threaten to primary them cuz he already has, or hasn't. All they have to lose by getting rid of him now is a horrible legacy of backing the bully - for no reason - who is destroying America . Isn't it time for a public pressure campaign to get Congress to impeach. I mean, if not now, when? If not him, who?
There aren’t the 60 votes needed to convict in the Senate. Impeachment without conviction (and removal from office) accomplish nothing. Trump has already been impeached twice (no consequences) and it only emboldens him and his supporters to do more outrageous things. Congressional energy would be better spent voting against his war and blocking his initiatives.
Not so sure there aren't the votes. Anyone he threatened to primary has been primaried. If we put public pressure on a few choice Republicans, they may well fold, and as we know, courage is contagious. There isn't a single state where the majority of the constituents haven't been royally screwed. So no, I don't buy that there's no way we'll get the votes needed in the Senate. John Thune is not a monster. He bucked Trump on the SAVE act. Billboards, phone calls, social media- attach his name and face to the damage being done - and there's a good chance he'll do the right thing. Or quit.
My shock is that anyone EVER believed his shell game. None of the three shells you list moved or fooled me one bit towards believing him. Indeed, the first time I ever even noticed he was on the planet, I was a kid in Philadelphia. I remember he was in the middle of some bankruptcy or scandalous real estate rip-off, and he was being interviewed; he was so pompous, arrogant, smarmy and disingenuous, I disliked him immediately. I knew nothing about him but in my gut, I didn’t trust him. I couldn’t believe he was considered so successful by grown-ups.
That feeling has blossomed into full-blown hate this past decade or so, much in the last year. Full-blown hatred is new to me - I’ve never felt it so thoroughly and personally til now.
To be honest, I don’t like the feeling at all, so I avoid listening or looking at trump very long at a time. (Otherwise, I’d be totally broke by now from replacing all the TVs, computers and radios I’d smashed.)
Good on you for discerning the truth about trump as a kid. I'm certain that your smart gut has saved you from a lot of unpleasantness (unfortunately it doesn't help with trump in a position where we can't avoid him).
Yeah - that we got to this point shocks me too! I think kids have more sense than grown-ups; viscerally, he just repelled me and he still repels me. I never knew my gut was so out of sync with so much of America…! (The apparently grown-up Americans, anyway!)
I think it's wonderful that your gut is out of sync with so much of America. trump also repels me. You know who else did was Ronald Reagan. I could never look at him. Now I wonder what I sensed in him back starting in the 70s?
Me too!! I was about 12 in ‘80, but I didn’t like him either. I’d never really focused on him before then. My parents despised Reagan. He started the great unraveling of America.
What you displayed was good intuition and sense in the ‘70s. My parents saw it, too, the dumbing down and loosening standards of Americans. As staunch democrats, they were galled to see the middle classes celebrating their own demise under that weak-minded, racist, bad actor man.
GREAT book, if you don’t already have it: Profiles in Ignorance, by Andy Borowitz. It’s funny, (and demoralizing at times), clever, accurate and a great nighttime read. Its focus: modern republican politicians (presidents) and the progression (regression) of our elected leaders and American standards to now.
A Confederacy of Dunces is actually by John Kennedy Toole. Did you mean, by any chance, Profiles in Ignorance by Andy Borowitz? If so, I've read and enjoyed it. The other one I wouldn't choose to read because I don't generally read fiction and the description of it I saw did not appeal to me.
I'm going to edit it in my post, but I'm adding this so people will get the rest of this conversation! ;) thanks again, Susan!
Duh! I stand corrected and embarrassed! - Profiles in Ignorance! Why did I pull that Confederacy title out of my brain? I've read Andy's book twice! You'd think I'd get the title right!
So, you've read the one I meant to mention (lol) - I enjoyed it, too!
Always thought Reagan was a creep but my mother loved him for his "acting". 😆
Your mother loved grade B acting? You were obviously more in tune with reality than your mother.
You are correct! My poor mother lived in a fantasy.
I'm with you and Wis, Susan: Rump and Reagan, both viscerally repulsive. What you sensed was evil, plain and simple.
Thank you, Denise. It feels really good to know that someone else felt the same way as I did about Reagan. I like your characterization of him as evil.
Absolutely. Evil behind a grandfatherly face.
Remember comedienne Brett Butler? I watched her sitcom, Grace Under Fire, and one episode centered around a neighbor mom's depression. She told her son what depression is, and said that it needs treatment. Then she said, "I was depressed for a long time when I was younger. They were called the Reagan years."
I thought that one-liner was brilliant. And at that point, Ronnie was still highly revered, so it took courage for her to say that.
I so appreciate your transparency. I have never thought of myself as a hateful person, but I greatly struggle with contempt and hatred for him, his enablers, and every person who put him into office. Contempt is a dangerous and destructive human emotion/response...it corrodes people's souls, and, for that reason, I try to think of other things and not dwell on it. But my goodness, it's hard.
Yes. You aren’t alone, Meggles.💕
Sadly, the first time I remember feeling hate was when Nixon was in office. I don't like the feeling either. And yeah, I sure wish that not every article about politics didn't feature a pic of his scowly face. So hard to look at.
When I watch footage of Nixon and trump, watching them move and make facial expressions, I’m struck by the impression that they aren’t controlling their own muscles: it’s like a committee of extraterrestrial aliens are operating them via remote control, each ET having a separate lever to move a particular muscle group. It seems like they’re all mad at each other and are throwing levers out of spite. The overall effect is that neither politician appears actually human.
Trump “dancing” to YMCA is an obvious example. Nixon sweatily debating Kennedy is another.
i wonder if radio stations know that as soon as his voice comes on a lot of us turn it off.
maybe we turn it on again later, but the station's advertisers should know that they may be selling into a vacuum ...
because we do care, and it's upsetting that he doesn't ... and it's not a tactic, he really doesn't care about other people and the things that hurt us.
I have to admit, I don’t listen to stations that run his ads or feature his rambling, obnoxious speeches. Unless I’m on NPR, and then it’s not nasty ads, it’s just the news. But I do exactly as you say, if it’s more than a sentence I hear in his voice, I change the station!
We do care, too, a great deal. That trump is president and this country is as conservative, redneck and racist as it is when I’ve almost reached sixty years old makes me very sad. Not just for me (though that too for sure!), but the future of all life, all civilization on earth.
Agreed. Con men trick too many.
Thank you for your well spoken response. You expressed how I feel. I cannot understand how anyone could be fooled by such a creepy narcissist. He has always reminded me of a predator.... a very dumb one.
Thank you for such kind words! Yes, trump is a predator, and a dumb one, which makes him that much more lethal. The collateral damage to all his policies and changes are vast and *totally* foreseeable, but he’s impulsive, without discretion and his approach to everything is heavy handed and sweeping. No planning, no consequence analysis — indeed, no time between his whim and the execution of that whim (the East Wing/ballroom, Venezuela, the rose garden, Iran, the Kennedy Center, etc etc).
Having trump in charge of this country is like living in the same house as a trigger-happy gun enthusiast with a fuse as short as his penis. [ETA: sorry for the graphic analogy 🫢]
I have felt exactly the same way! Thank you for putting it into words for me! He’s just a smarmy, slob.
One of the things that concerns me is that if the Republicans commit voter fraud in some key districts, the second shell, “The numbers are fake, the system is rigged" becomes part of the strategy in that it makes it more difficult for Dems to cry foul. I'd call this strategy brilliant, but I don't think it was its original intent, and nothing he does deserves to wear the air of "brilliance."
Charles, since 2020, I have opined that "The Big Lie" was a can't-fail strategy. If it succeeded on its face, the election would be overturned and Donald would get to remain in The Oval and out of prison.
If the scheme didn't overturn the election, it would lay the groundwork for delegitimizing any future claims by Democrats that an election had been "rigged." By risking the appearance of "sore losers," the Trump machine established the precedent that questioned election results are just "sour grapes" and do not merit investigation.
Definitely. Donnycon has poisoned the well in terms of calling out anything that seems in the least bit suspicious like how he won all seven swing states.
That's an interesting take.
Why not commit voter fraud again? They did it two years ago. Got away with it, too.
And I think that is why DJT is so adamant the he won the 2020 election. He knew it was rigged in this favor but the post-pandemic vote overwhelmed what they planned. Also, in 2024, what are the odds of DJT winning ALL six swing states just above the level that called for an auto recount? I will never know why the DNC did not call for a forensic analysis of two of the swing states.
I've read your theory about 2020 elsewhere, and it makes perfect sense to me. IOW, he doesn't think he won just because he's a malignant narcissist and can't accept losing. He thinks that because he was told the election was in the bag.
In 2024, I think there should have been analysis of ALL the swing states. As for why the DNC didn't call for audits, well....they're spineless. In 2004, they immediately conceded that Kerry lost, despite the obvious shenanigans in Ohio. They simply don't fight for anything.
I think the atmosphere in the country wasn't quite as volatile and the polls were still considered relatively free of fraud when Kerry lost - it would have been publicized as sour grapes had dems demanded an analysis. Or, I suspect it would have. Our elections ARE free of fraud in the overall scheme of any huge national election process (though the campaigning etc. is atrociously in need of reform - money is far too huge a factor now, and the campaigning starts way too early - we're either in an election year or in the middle of campaign promise overload).
The issue isn't whether our votes safely get counted (or it hasn't been): the issue is that trump destroyed all faith in the system with his inane, thoroughly disproven Big Lie. It's entirely a smoke and mirror problem - there ISN'T a problem except for the perception of a problem in the minds of Americans. Now that trump has been in power, shoving his filthy fingers into everything, THIS is where I am now concerned for our election process's integrity. All the completely unconstitutional and undemocratic gerrymandering has also rendered our once-representative votes into diluted whispers.
There is NO WAY on God's green earth that trump could be fairly elected come November. None. If he wins, he cheated and manipulated and doctored the vote. There is NO WAY he can win the majority of this country's vote without subterfuge.
I've actually been doubting if trump was EVER truly elected by the People.
He cheated and manipulated and doctored the vote two years ago. Just ask Elon and his hacker posse. There were dirty tricks galore before the vote, and then, when it came to election night, well.... A statistically impossible win of all the swing states, with numbers just high enough to avoid automatic recounts, huge numbers of bullet ballots and other anomalies....it all spells subversion.
As for Ohio in 2004, it stunk to high heaven. The news broadcasts called the race for Kerry a little after midnight, but a few hours later, the results suddenly flipped? The CEO of the voting machine company telling employees that he'd do everything he could to ensure Bush's electoon? Nope, there was underhanded manipulation there, too. The local branch of the ACLU (Clwveland) met to discuss what to do, but as would happen in 2024, the Dem candid had immediately conceded, and the DNC would do nothing.
It's ironic, isn't it, that trump and the republican machine has the country believing democrats are the corrupt fraudsters? Throughout modern history, the republicans have been the cheaters with the $$$ to commit unheard of fraud and crime. I believe you - I didn't hear all the details about Ohio. Hopefully with this new group of democrats and the emotional vehemence trump has inspired in the party, we'll see dems with teeth, brains and savvy taking over.
When I first saw this statement on Melania’s jacket I thought that this might have been a frequent comment she lived by. I already knew trump used this comment when he lived in NYC out of politics. He not only said it, he lived by it. I imagine this comment frequently resounds in the trump family and i think that it sums up the entire ethos of their clan.
The psychoanalysis is excellent, but what I’d really like is a president and officials who don’t need to be psychoanalyzed.
YOU CAN’T FIRE ME BECAUSE I QUIT!! 😂
AH, I love the small of defeat in the morning!
smell
How can we anger him enough to leave in a huff? Unfortunately, his current grift taps the deepest pockets he has ever had access to. Too bad he hasn't steamed Putin enough to send him some of that special 'Uncle Vlad's Polonium Tea.'
I really enjoyed reading this, Jay, your articles are thought-provoking and also colorfully written. What ultimately strikes me about this Epstein Club is that they are constantly miserable-looking and angry--for all their money and power. How us that worth it?
" Donald Trump is a con man, and we the public are his marks. His goal is to rob us blind and get away with as much as he can, plain and simple. And nearly everything he does can be understood through that basic framing."
The three card monte is his trick to distract and divide us while he extorts and steals for himself, his family, and his billionaire puppet masters. Then, because of all this extortion and theft, he must further distract, divide AND demand fealty to escape being held accountable.
The problem is that our media (and far too many of us who oppose him), spend our time repeating, resharing, AND amplifying all of his lies of distraction and division. Even when we think we are pointing out the lies, by negating them, we are actually reinforcing them!
Cognitive science makes clear that repetition, even (and in fact, especially) to refute, is simply reinforcing (hard wiring) his fascist, racist, nativist, misogynist, and LGBTQ-hating propaganda. Words matter and too often, it is his words that we are all pushing into the world.
For those interested in better understanding this, and how we can stop aiding and abetting a jury-determined rapist, 3X popular vote majority loser, 34X convicted felon, twice impeached traitor, and walking #EpsteinFiles redaction in his effort to steal our freedoms and destroy our way of life, a few resources below:
https://substack.com/@antoniascatton/p-141939567
https://www.theframelab.org/elon-musk-doge-theft/
I'm concerned that his lack of concern is motivated by his knowledge / complicity of a concerted effort to manipulate or impact future elections via nefarious means.
It’s pretty clear at least how he plans to screw with the midterms. The recent usps instruction is a big deal and very worrisome
I'm sure Musk left instructions with people on how to continue his illegal manipulation of the voting machines.
Exactly.
He has always been bailed out by someone. We need to start watching Barron for the same attitude.
As he manipulated 2024.
Release the Epstein files.
One of the ploys universally intrinsic to human behavior is, ‘if I blame someone else then I don’t have to change'. I grew up with a quaint saying about self-accountability: “When I point my finger at my neighbor, there are three more pointing back at me.” It has been a challenging but useful guidepost in my adult life.
You are right on target, Jay. Thanks for making it make sense - sort of.
Melania’s fashion statement confused me a little. I remember thinking, “If you don’t care, why would anyone listen to what you say?” Then I thought, “Meh, I don’t listen to her already, so no, when it comes to you, you bitter, bitchy, malignant Melanoma, I do not care.”
My guess is that he has received enough information that the mid-terms will be a democratic victory that he is dis-associating himself from the mid-terms in an attempt to minimize them and make them appear less important. BUT meanwhile, what's this new thing about how he wants "the government" to collect the social media accounts of everyone so he can go after those who disagree with him?
It’s always many things at once with men so slippery as Trump
You mean the Gestapo approach advanced by Bissett?
Don't know who's responsible (does ANYONE?)
We know he cares very much about winning the midterms, as he could not possibly tolerate being called a 'lame duck' president.
What you describe is part and parcel of the ever-growing surveillance state. Thiel's Palantir is being used by our government to collect and assimilate any and all available data on every individual. The merged packets will give as complete as possible a picture of all of us---banking, home ownership, taxes, medical records, voting history, contacts, purchasing stats, social media content, you name it. After all, Musk and DOGE already hoovered up a lot of that info.
Do you have a link regarding social media accounts being used by the government?
How about this?
federal agencies under his administration have actively expanded their tracking of social media critics, political adversaries, and travelers.
During Trump's second presidential term, the administration’s use of federal law enforcement and administrative powers to police speech and target vocal opponents has drawn intense scrutiny.
Targeting of High-Profile Critics
Rather than sweeping up all everyday citizens, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI have focused heavily on prominent public figures who have publicly sparred with or criticized the president:
James Comey: The former FBI director has been indicted twice by the current DOJ, most recently for an Instagram post featuring seashells spelling out "8647". Prosecutors interpreted the slang "86" as an intent to harm the 47th president.
Former Officials: In April 2025, Trump signed executive orders explicitly directing the DOJ to investigate former first-term administration officials, such as Miles Taylor and Christopher Krebs, who became vocal critics of him.E. Jean Carroll: The DOJ recently opened an investigation into Trump's civil accuser regarding the funding of her litigation costs.
Increased Use of Administrative
Subpoenas
Civil liberties groups and security experts have highlighted a broader trend of federal agencies targeting general critics through aggressive administrative methods:Bypassing Courts: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal investigators have increasingly used administrative subpoenas to demand information directly from tech platforms regarding users critical of the government. These do not require prior approval or a warrant from a judge.
Platform Cooperation: Tech companies are not legally obligated to comply with administrative subpoenas without a court order, but some have cooperated. In one high-profile incident, Google handed over information on a user who emailed a federal prosecutor about an immigration case, prompting federal agents to show up at his door.
Traveler and Immigrant Screening: The administration has also prioritized searching and vetting the public social media footprints of tourists from dozens of foreign countries and immigrants arriving in the U.S..
The Legality of Social Media MonitoringLegal experts note that while tracking Trump-critical speech is highly controversial and raises severe First Amendment concerns, it is not entirely illegal:
Public Square Rule: Because public social media posts are inherently visible to anyone, the FBI can manually or automatically monitor public feeds without opening a formal investigation or needing a warrant.
Enforcement Realities: Due to limited resources, federal agencies generally state that their core surveillance missions focus on terrorism, human trafficking, and cybersecurity. However, speech that can be interpreted as an operational threat or linked to specific political adversaries is increasingly being weaponized for criminal referrals.
Civil rights organizations like the ACLU have long warned that this expanding dragnet creates a "chilling effect" designed to make regular citizens self-censor their political expression online.
I believe you. I just wanted more info. Thanks
It was in a FB post from Occupy Democrats. If you send me an email, I'll forward the piece. No worries.
HERE'S MORE ---> The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Reddit, and Discord, demanding identifying data of accounts that track or criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Summary of the Situation
Reports from The New York Times and legal documents indicate that the government targeted anonymous social media accounts that document ICE raids, organize protests, or express anti-ICE sentiments.
The Government's Argument: The DHS and ICE claim these accounts threaten "officer safety" by posting real-time location data of active enforcement operations, which could lead to interference or violence.
Data Requested: The administrative subpoenas requested user names, telephone numbers, email addresses, and location data.
The Legal Mechanism: The DHS used "administrative subpoenas" (or administrative summons), which are generated internally by federal agencies and do not require prior approval from a judge.
Legal Pushback and Direct Escalation
The broad demands have sparked major pushback from digital privacy advocates, civil liberties organizations, and tech platforms:
User Notifications: Tech companies like Google and Meta implemented policies to notify affected users, giving them a 10-to-14-day window to legally challenge the requests before handing over personal data.
ACLU Intervention: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and individual privacy lawyers stepped in to block several demands in federal court. In multiple instances, the DHS withdrew its administrative subpoenas before a judge could rule on their constitutionality, leaving the legal boundaries unresolved.
Escalation to DOJ Grand Juries: Following challenges to the civil administrative summonses, the Department of Justice (DOJ) escalated the situation by deploying federal grand jury subpoenas against specific users on platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). Grand jury subpoenas indicate an active criminal investigation and are significantly harder for tech platforms or users to legally defeat.
Civil rights advocates warn that unmasking non-violent accounts that purely engage in political speech, satire, or documenting public law enforcement activity violates the First Amendment and creates a severe chilling effect on free speech.
After reading your intro, I was going to comment that he's not smart enough to plan these things, but I kept reading and you convinced me. This is a life long habit of his, so maybe it is so ingrained that he doesn't have to plan much.
I certainly understand that those, who only follow headlines after he has manipulated the news, can stay in his camp. And perhaps far too many people live with family members who bully or use the same tactics. But how do the relatively smarter people who work for him stand to be near this? What's in it for them?
Some say that Trump isn't smart. Well, he is smart with these tactics. What he is "not smart" about is what the vast majority of people do on a day to day basis. He is solely lacking in day to day experiences. He has never ever even shopped for his groceries, much less ever walked on a trail in the wilderness.
What’s in it for them? Money and power…
Jay. Always with the truth.
Is it not time now to push Republicans to back impeachment? He has already sunk enough of them - i.e. he can't threaten to primary them cuz he already has, or hasn't. All they have to lose by getting rid of him now is a horrible legacy of backing the bully - for no reason - who is destroying America . Isn't it time for a public pressure campaign to get Congress to impeach. I mean, if not now, when? If not him, who?
There aren’t the 60 votes needed to convict in the Senate. Impeachment without conviction (and removal from office) accomplish nothing. Trump has already been impeached twice (no consequences) and it only emboldens him and his supporters to do more outrageous things. Congressional energy would be better spent voting against his war and blocking his initiatives.
Not so sure there aren't the votes. Anyone he threatened to primary has been primaried. If we put public pressure on a few choice Republicans, they may well fold, and as we know, courage is contagious. There isn't a single state where the majority of the constituents haven't been royally screwed. So no, I don't buy that there's no way we'll get the votes needed in the Senate. John Thune is not a monster. He bucked Trump on the SAVE act. Billboards, phone calls, social media- attach his name and face to the damage being done - and there's a good chance he'll do the right thing. Or quit.